Seal



Oct. 5,1926. 1,601,972

R. H. FULTON SEAL Original Filed ay 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 5 192s. 1,601,972

R. H. FULTON Original Filed y 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Shaev z Patented Get. 5, 19 26.

UNITED STATES 1,501,972 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT H. FULTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CONSOLIDATED STEEL STRAPPING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SEAL.

Application filed May 5, 1922, Serial No. 558,719. Renewed May 10, 1926.

My invention relates to a seal. which consists of a metal strip adapted to have its ends interengaged in such manner that the seal cannot be opened and re-closed without detection. Devices of this character are adapted to be employed for a great variety of sealing purposes, as, for instance, in con-- nection with car doors, other doors, cans, boxes, trunks, shipping cases, bags, etc. One method of using the present type of seal for sealing car doors is illustrated in copending application, Serial No. 605,163, filed by myself and J ohn W. Leslie.-

' The invention consists in the provision of a metal seal of new and unique construction,

which is adapted to be threaded through and turned'upon itself in a novel manner. and to have its ends interengaged in such fashion that after the seal has been closed it is practically impossible to open and then re-close it without leaving unmistakable evidence of such tampering. v

The construction of my improved seal, as well as the preferred method of applying same are fully set forth in the following detailed description, wherein reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, in

which-. v

Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved seal before its ends have been brought together, and threaded one through the other in the manner presently to be explained;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same tion taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure at is a top plan viewof the seal as it appears after the first threading operation' I 4 Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the seal as it appears after the first threading oper ation; I V

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the seal as it appears afterv the second threading operation, but before the crimping, or distorting, operation;

Figure 7 is a sectional view which may be regarded as taken on the line 77 of Figure 6' I Figiire 8 is a top plan view, illustrating the connected ends of the seal as they appear subsequent to the crimping, or distorting, operation;

Figure 9 is a bottom planview illustrating the connected ends of the seal as they or distorting,

comprises an integral, and preferably ductile, metal strip 11, which at one end is provided with lateral wings 1212, which have been turned away from the strip proper, and toward each other, to provide a. sleeve which is adapted to receive the opposite end of the strip, and to embrace the lateral edges of the latter when the strip ends are brought together and interengaged, in accordance with the method presently to be explained. Two parallel slits 1313 are formed in the sleeve portion of the strip, and the web 14, which lies between these slits, is raised above the plane of the rest of the strip to permit and facilitate the second of the threading operations presently to be described.

That end of the strip 11, which is. to be threaded through the hereinbefore-mentioned sleeve, is conveniently pointed, as

indicated at 15, and is preferably painted or otherwise colored diiferently from the rest of the strip. The painted, or otherwise colored portion of the strip, is indicated at 16. If desired, an identifying number or letter or both may appear upon the painted end of the strip, as indicated at 17. .7

In using the improved seal of my invention, the strip 11 is passed in the usual manner-through the parts which are to be sealed against any unwarranted opening or separation. The pointed end of the strip is then threaded through, and extended a substantial distance beyond, the sleeve portion of the strip, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. This is the first threading operation. The pointed end of the strip is now turned back over the sleeve portion of the strip,

and is threaded through slits 13-13 and under web 14, as is clearly, illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. This is the second threading operation. The seal is now ready for the performance of the final, or distorting, operation. f This final, or distorting, opera tion is preferably, but not necessarily, a

nil

crimping operation performed in accordance with the method of Flora United States Patent No. 1,038,108, dated September 10, 1 and accomplished by means of a sealing or crimping tool substantially like the tool shown and described inFlora United States Patent No. 1,038,109, dated Eleptember 10, 1912.

In performing the final, or distorting, operation, the jaws of the sealing tool are applied to'the lateral edges of the sleeve portion of the seal strip, the sealing tool serving sin'iultaneously to crimp the web 1-1 and wings l2-'12 of one end of the strip edgeu 'ise 'ito infolding, interlocking engagement with the two embraced thicknesses of the other end of the strip. The slits 18-13 define the points where the jaws of the crimping tool are to be applied, and in a measure facilitate the crimping operation. Figures 8, 9 and .0 illustrate the seal of my invention as it appears after the performance of the crimping operation just described.

The seal of my invention when closed in accordance with the method herein described has a very pleasing characteristic appearance, and when once opened cannot be r-closed without the seal bearing unmistakable evidence of tampering. When viewed from the front or top, as illustrated in Figure 8, the colored portions of the seal strip, which lie on either side of the uncolored or dilferently colored web 14, are very conspicuous. Any unauthorized attempt to violate'the seal by withdrawing the colored end of the strip from under web 14 will so scratch the exposed colored portions of the seal strip as to make it obvious that theseal has been violated. If, in violating the seal, resort should be made to cutting away that portion of the seal strip which properly extends under web" 14, violation of the sealwould be anade evident by a departure from the characteristic appearance of the seal, and by the absence of the identifying markings, numbers or letters, 1?. Other advantages afforded by the improved seal construction of my invent-ion rill be apparent to persons familiar with the art to which my inventions relate.

Vvhilel have chosen to perform the final step in the application of my improved seal in accordance with and-by the method and means described in the Flora patents, hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that my invention contemplates the use of any suitable means for forming the locking deformations in the connected ends of the seal strip. I

Having thus illustrated and described my improved seal, and the preferred method of applying same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

offset web, the other end of the strip e2;-

vided atone end thereof with lateral wings 1. A. seal comprising a metal strip having one end tnereot provided with lateral wings which, together with the adjacent portion of said strip end, provide sleeve adapted to embrace the other end oi: the

stripfsaidlast-mentioned end of the strip extending through said sleeve and being ing deformations.

3. A seal comprising a metal strip having oneend thereof conformed to provide 7 a sleeve, one wall of which has'an outwardly 90 tending through and beyond the sleeveand being turned back upon the sleeve and passing under said web, two thicknesses of said last-mentioned strip end being interengaged with the sleeve by interlocking deformations. I

4;. A seal comprising a metal strip provided at one end with lateral wings conformed to embrace the other end of the strip,"there'-being a pair of spaced trans- 100 verse slits in said first end of the strip, the

metal between said slits being pressed outwardly away from the plane or" the surrounding metal to provide aweb, said second end of the strip extending alongside the first end of the strip, and through and beyond the embrace of said win s, and heir turned back upon the first strip end and passing through said slits and under said web, the several contiguous portions of the metal of the strip ends being intere e'aged lit) by interlocking deformations.

5. A seal comprising a metal strip 131 0. vided at one end thereof with lateral wings which, together with said strip end, constitute a sleeve, there being a pair of trans verse slits in the aforesaid end of the strip, the metal between said slits being offset from the adjacent metal and away from said w ngs, the other end of the strip passing through the sleeve and thence around the end thereof, and passing through said slits and under said web.

6. A seal comprising metal strip prowhich, together with said strip end, 0011- stitute a sleeve, there being a pair of transverse shts 1n the aforesaid end of the strip,

the metal between said slits being offset from theadjacent metal andaway from said 130 wings, the other end of the strip passing through the sleeve and thence around the end thereof, and passing through said slits and under said web, the several layers of the metal of the strip ends being conjointly crimped edgewise into interlocking engagement. V

7. A seal comprising a metal strip having one end thereof conformed to provide a sleeve adapted to embrace the other end of the strip, said last-mentioned end of the strip being extended through and beyond said sleeve, and being turned back upon itself and alongside the sleeve and outside of portions of the latter, said sleeve comprising an offset web which lies outside of the last-mentioned strip end portion, the ends of the strip being engaged by interlocking deformations.

said sleeve, and being turned back upon itself and alongside the sleeve and outside of portions of the latter, said sleeve comprising an offset web which lies outside of the last-mentioned strip end portion, the ends of the strip being engaged by interlooking deformations, and the outer surface of the strip end portion which passes under said web being of different color than the outer surface of said web.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of Way, 1922.

ROBERT H. FULTON. 

